Thursday, February 4, 2010

Last night-ladies night at Tavern-my outlet
Mahima, James and I went in early and James and I went for food during her meeting. We went for him (hardrock cafe-steak), then we went for me (Indian coffee house-dosa and coffee) before reaching tavern.

There was Kris, Gounder, and Mamansa. No signs of Emma, Benny or Mahima. We hung out and talked for awhile. Gounder told me about his temple and I am going to try to go this sunday.

We then went to a five star hotel to dance and hang out until we had to go back to yelahanka. This place was beautiful-but we got scolded for putting our feet in the outdoor pool-which was silly. I danced for a really long time and met some people before joining Mimansa and Nitin at the pool.

We left around 11:30, since that is when everything closes, and we went to see Nitin's studio. He's a filmmaker with this huge house just for himself where he has his studio and a huge terrace. He painted the whole place, it is very cool!

Drove home-security guards gave us the key- and I stayed up till 3 working on my assignment. Then i gave up for some sleep, and got back up at 6 to finish. It was either that or not showing up. But not showing up... I couldnt make myself do it.

Class was long
(and it was a half day)
I took a really nice nap and started soaking garbanzos for hummus!
something to look forward to.

Last night I spoke with a woman (whose apartment I am in love with) whose from Oklahoma and has been living in India for eight years. She hasn't gone home once since she moved here. I like her, and her apartment is like a tree house. I want to live there.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY dad- of the ackermansanddad of the watts'andjustin timberlake!!!I hope its wonderful

I have submitted all my website documents and was the first one to do sayfinally- all done- kind ofits not very pretty but it functions the way I want at this point. I am going to take a break and then get back on it.

My next class- just found out- is going to be using after effects, flash, AND arduino!I am super excited. interactive type designthe final text will be showcased on the Nokia N810 phone? well- heres the outline

N810 + SENSORS = INTERACTIVE TYPE-ART

Addition of a sensor to a device makes it a pseudo-living object. It can take input and output/communicate via its screen. Use this to create type-based video-art. How would the user talk to the device through the sensor? How would this conversation affect your type-art?

Try to keep it simple and achievable :)

This is a workshop, so you'll have to work for answers to your problems. They will not be handed to you. We're here to guide and support.

The final outcome would be an installation of type-art is affected and responds to the environment/objects/users. The piece of art would be purely visual and purely type, with the choice of medium (analog or digital) being left to the student. The only constraint here being that After Effects CS4 is mandatory for compositing and final output.

The type-art will be showcased on Nokia N810s
The N810 will interact through Arduino boards and basic sensors
The videos will be played through Flash

Anyways, I stayed up late working with Surgam (Mahima's house mate and fellow arvind stuent). Her roomate was gone, so the two of us sat at the desks listening to pearl jam, writing html haha. We both worked until we were so exhausted that (in my case) I stood up, took three steps, and fell into her roomates bed. I woke up at 8, walked back over to the desk and finished everything up and sent it on its way to Arvind. I then hung out on the porch for awhile in the sun before breakfast.

Today has been okay. A girl is shifting into our house, so that should be nice and we are starting to make the house a little more cozy-concrete floors and all. I went for a long walk because I have been going a little crazy cooped up in my house in front of the computer. I am going to start running before class- however I have to find a route because the park I checked out today is really really small.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

I got permission to stay on campus the entire night to do the work that needed to get done in order for me to not fall completely behind by leaving for the weekend. I had walked to the market and bought my first- kind of- redbull- I figured tonight would be decently painful and I deserved it- and chana- really delicious spicy garbanzo beans- the closest thing I have found to hummus haha. I walked over to new campus, ready to surrender my night and desired sleep for wireframes and personas… which I was actually alright with. I was in the school alone, had my stuff strewn across desks, had music playing, things were looking promising.

Until Mahima called telling me-with a good amount of excitement- that class tomorrow had been cancelled. There was a lot of jumping around before she pulled up at the school and took me home-well almost home-I met some girls from my class and we went to the market for fresh juice.

When I got home, I went to Rimas- she was super upset on the phone and I sat on their internet for a bit, wondering what was going on. I made her a card and hung out with her housemates before Emma and Benny came knocking saying we had internet! We sure did- and we all skyped and were finally able to show some of our families a live 360 view of the house- plus I got to talk to my brother and dad at the same time- which was a nice treat!

Stayed up late and got up early. I went to the market, they went to school. I stayed in the house eating bread and peanut butter, skyping a bit and working on wireframes and such. The girls got back, packed and headed with Mahima and Nimisha to the bus stop. We had a one hour trip to the city and then a 12 hour trip to Gokarna. Super concerned that we would have no bathroom and that the bus would stop only once- we were extremely hesitant to eat at the restaurant we sat down at. The bus stop was a whole new kind of crazy. I wondered how I ever thought I could manage that myself… maybe after a few times with people who know their way, but it was dark, it smelled incredibly-like nothing I have ever experienced we were presented a hole in the ground after paying to use the rest room, and the bus we boarded… very cozy. Also freezing cold. The entire time we shivered, the windows didn’t close and sleeping was impossible.

Fast forwarding the brutal 12 hour trip- and the nice restroom stop where a huge line of women wandered out into the woods under the beautiful moon and stars in order not to use the public restroom. We arrived in Gokarna 8 am the next morning, and got in two autos. We could see ocean from here and were extremely excited. While emma tried to talk to me, we passed a tree with seven monkeys just hanging out- she was bummed to have missed it, I smiled for the rest of the day.

We arrived at what appeared to be… the dessert? And Mahimas auto pulled up with some boces of necessities. We carried them down a rocky path, meanwhile being passed by women and men carrying massive concrete bricks and piles of egg crates on their heads. When we finally stepped foot onto the sandy beach, we were greeted by a bull. Looking out on the beach we saw at least a dozen bulls and just hanging around the beach. Small huts/hotels scattered the beaches and hippies everywhere. Dreadlocks, harem pants, tattoos, hemp, and the works. It was an interesting crowd. Emma and I searched for accommodations and finally found two huts on the beach, 5 dollars a night per hut.

of course I loved it here- there was a garden

It was all beach
and all sand
and cows
and dogs
everyone was happy
and relaxed

The less busy of the bus stations.

First thing we see upon reaching the beach! Bulls. Just hanging out. All day.

all the hotels were like this- minus one which was super ritzy. we were looking to pay 300rps/night- they wanted 1500rps!

FINALLY the mosquito net I always wanted since I was little and thought it meant you were a princess. It was kind of like that... except that we were prepping for

This is one of the huts- identical to ours-just looking right at us- they had a nice treat when they walked out of their cabins the next day.

neighbors

it looks nice from the outside

This is when I can truly appreciate the fact that I wake up early and no matter how hard I try- I cant go back to sleep. A different light changes the place completely. Yoga, running, swimming, stretching, and watching the sun rise took place all morning. Fishing too-more pictures to come.

The resturaunt at our hotel- and at all the hotels on the beach. They all had india, italian, mexican, and chinese foods- all bases covered.

We hung out all day on the beach, splitting up for coffee, reading, juice, swimming, sleeping whatever we wanted. I got to run on the beach while the sun set which was nice although my legs really hurt for a long while after.

I took a nap in the hut for a bit, which was hot- but very necessary, and on our second to last day we went to PARADISE beach via-a tiny boat. We passed Om beach and pulled up to a mix of huge black stones protruding from the ocean and a beautifully sandy beach.

Here, we played all day.

We ordered fresh juice and banana nutella pancakes all day long

until--------

benny got sick :(

we took a boat come and she went to bed, as did Mahima who was feeling feverish. The rest of us went to dinner where we met a very interesting man who lives 6 months in canada, 6 months in bangalore doing-nothing but learning to calm and slow his mind.

he made a lot of money in the matress business-apparently- and lived in the dominican republic on the beach for 10 years first.

musta made ALOTA money

Anyways, home and to bed- unfortunately that didnt last long before Emma and I were both in the sand outside the hut-sick- all night and the entire next day and the accommodations were not very luxuries-other than the cool sand of course.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Wed. we went to ladies night which is always a treat. We went for dosas and coffee and the indian coffee house first- the place that has been there since before the British! I love that place, its 40 cents for a dosa and 10 cents for a coffee and the people are very friendly!

Then to the Tavern where I met some very interesting people. Lots and lots of names.

There were media students, resturaunt owners, pilots, photographers, people living in the himalayas working as civil engineers, a woman opening a spa in Bangalore, a man who facebooks all day at work, and then some. Each time we go is much better than the last. We had a great time and a bit of an adventure on the way home. I refused to go to bed for awhile for fear of ear buzzing business, so I stayed up for awhile laying out on the couch in the main room before giving in to sleep.

Thursday was another long day of wireframes. I got up early and, as if I hadn't had enough dosas, went to a restaurant near my campus for a dosa and coffee: 50 cents

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

I have been working like a crazy person.
BUT this is work I can handle because there are boundaries
theres a beginning and a clearly defined end-kind of
its all problem solving
none of this "go do a project-anything you want" business
which I appreciate because it means I have less decisions to make on what I should do for a project... and just work on the project.

Two nights ago more than half my class took me to the city for "real" Indian food. At the bus stop, however, we were discussing all the different kind of meat this place had so I decided maybe I should mention the vegetarian thing- everyone was startled and we had to change plans. We jumped on the huge G9 bright green bus which took us into the city. It was already dark but it was the first time I wasn't worried about it.

We got tho Pecos and walked up three spiral staircases. There were posters on the walls and they were playing classic rock. We tried to squeeze into a booth-type arrangement, and soon relocated. There were more than 11 of us and we ordered a ton of appetizers, beer and eventually we all got dinner-dosas!
For 11 people to eat and drink good food and a lot of drinks, it cost 3000ish Rps, 60 dollars ish- total

it was a ton of fun and we took nice cabs home instead of rickshaws
:) I got home and stayed up-scared that when i went to bed I would have things in my ears again.

Yesterday-worked all day long in class and went home to do a ton more work. I ate at Umesh's and hung out at Rimas for a bit before sleep.

Today- more of the same
work work work- and tonights supposed to be the most stressful night of this class?
I have ladies night to attend tonight!
Two of them- whats he thinking

We got the entire class to come to Garkana- assuming they can get bus tickets.
Arvind (teacher) too!
If this works out, than I....
it will be amazing!!!

Monday, January 18, 2010

The work ethic here is crazy, or has crazy effect on me. I literally sit at the computer from 9-5 or 6 working, i get tea, work at my computer some more, eat dinner, and then I work again until Rima kicks me out so they can go to bed haha, and I go home to work some more-until I give up for sleep... theres a little bit of browsing the web and writing emails, but not nearly enough for me to call it procrastination.
Then I try to sleep with things buzzing in my ears and wake up at 7:30, make it to school by 8... class starts at 9:30. This is not right.
AND to think I spent my only day of the entire week at the school- I had to beg for permission, well not beg, but ask like 4 different people and make some phone calls.

This is concerning.
This is supposed to be study abroad.
This is crazy.
But I like it

This weekend wasnt much of a weekend. My one day off, I got permission to go to campus and work. I was the only student in the building. I worked on the website and flow charts and wireframes and made friends with the guard.

Sunday night at 11pm I get an email from my teacher saying that all we need for tomorrow is doodles, rough sketches, ideas...
I did a lot more than that, but at least I could sleep easy.

This is some of it.... I have a lot of work to do

Today in class, my professor was lecturing a bit, and in the middle of his explanation of what our personas and scenarios should be, he looks up and says "monkey", and then continues talking...

The class is slightly confused until we turn around and see a little monkey sitting right up against the window in the back of the room watching the lecture.

How ridiculous, to look outside and see a monkey hanging out.

Anyways,

We got yelled at a lot this weekend. In about 4 different languages, by about 4 different people. Not good, not good, but also not my fault. Oh well, hopefully everyone will get over it, its still very annoying that I am the middle person being constantly yelled at even though I was not involved in the issues. The people I used to like now just scare me. Umesh sent his dad over to yell at us, which I find silly, and the guard was not happy.

I worked 7 days a week today at the new campus 9-5 and then the rest of the night. I was thinking the other groups got this stuff done because they are in groups of 4 people and could divide the work. Turns out, its because what I was doing was not at all what was due. I got an email in the middle of the night saying that we simply need rough hand drawings and doodles…

Relieved and exhausted I did some drawings and went to bed. I had been working crazy on finished wireframes and user flows… and all we needed were very rough beginning ideas… I slept early, but there are bugs that buzz in both of my ears at night. I honestly feel like a crazy person. I can plug my ears and they are still in there. I was so exhausted and annoyed last night that I actually scrunched up tissues and put them in my ear (brad-like you would in your nose to stop it from running haha)- and it worked for awhile, one still buzzed… but then I just had dreams that I took the tissues out and they were super bloody.

I didn’t sleep well.

Rickshawed to school today because I needed to get to the internet and to work. He didn’t have change so I ended up paying him more than twice what he was already over charging me. It was 50 cents.

Coffee worked today! Thank god.

My class is taking me to the city for real Indian food tonight. I am very excited, it’s a huge event- or at least it sounds like it because everyone I see is talking about it.

Last night we had a dance party. Benny dances trance, emma and I tried to learn- we gave up fast.

Gokanna this weekend. We are skipping Monday and going to this beach town near the mountains? I have no idea but I hear its beautiful. So that will be really nice! A nice break from all this school.